In case you were wondering if the Nets, now with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the fold, would be taking on any portion of the Celtics’ past rivalry with the Miami Heat, we saw in Thursday’s preseason game in Brooklyn that the answer was a resounding “yes.”
In addition to the Nets making sure to come away with the 86-62 victory, Pierce let it be known early on that even though it was only the preseason, nothing would come easy for LeBron James if he had anything to say about it.
Midway through the first quarter, with LeBron getting out on a fast break, Pierce was back, and essentially made sure to body check James in the open floor before he could make his move to the basket.
It wasn’t a flagrant foul, and it wasn’t a dirty play. And sure, Pierce easily could have tried to legitimately defend the play, or half-heartedly reached in for the steal as LeBron drove around him and to the basket for an easy two points.
Instead, Pierce sent a message, however small, that there will be nothing easy against his new team -- even in a meaningless preseason contest.
[via The Brooklyn Game]